Combined switch and spare bulb carrier for electric hand lanterns



March 1943- w. M. M OXLEY 2,312,844 COMBINED SWITCH AND SPARE BULB CARRIER FOR ELECTRIC HAND LANTERNS Filed Oct. 1, 1941 Patented Mar. 2, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE COMBINED SWITCH AND SPARE BULB CAR- RIER FOR ELECTRIG HAND LANTERNS William M. Moxley, Kansas City, Mo. Application October 1, 1941, Serial No. 413,212 Claims. (Cl. Mil-10.63)

This invention relates to electric lanterns of; the character of that shown in my copendin application, Serial No. 399,347, filed on the 23rd day of June, 1941. Lanterns of this type have recently found wide favor among railroad men and are rapidly supplanting the old oil lantern. It is clear that a lantern used for signaling purposes on railroads must be so constructed as to be very reliable in operation. It has been the practice for quite a long time to provide lanterns of this type with two light bulbs and a switch arranged to bring either of the bulbs into electrical communication with the battery of the lantern. Thus, if one bulb burned out, the other could be switched on without the loss of a moments time.

One of the important features of the present invention is to go even beyond this and to provide not only the two bulbs controlled by a common switch, but to utilize such switch as a carrier for a third or spare bulb.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a novel type of rotary switch and bulb carrier, the bulbs being mounted upon and being bodily movable with the movable element of the switch. By virtue of this arrangement of parts, it is possible to provide a very rugged and durable switch construction. It will be observed that this feature differs radically from the methods commonly used heretofore, in that, instead of providing a switch movable to operative relation with a plurality of bulbs, we now have a construction wherein all three bulbs may be moved successively bodily into operative relation to a fixed and rugged contact member.

' Further objects and advantages of the inventicn will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.

In the accompanyin drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in section, illustrating a lantern constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line' 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is an underside face view of the switch.

The lantern of the present invention comprises a shell or body 5, a swinging bail 6, a skeleton base i and a battery 8, all of these parts being of known construction. A block 9 of fiber or like insulating material has contact plate to secured thereto by a pin or rivet H. One pole 12 of the battery makes contact with this plate. The block 9 also carries upon its 3 or casing 5.

upper face a. contact ring l3, said ring bein secured to the block by rivets l4, said rivets also serving to hold the block 9 in engagement with an inturned bottom ledge l5 of the body A depending, inwardly inclined apron I6 projects from the inner edge of the ledge I5.

A movable block ll of insulating material, such as fiber, has a plurality of recesses l8 (in this case, three), formed in its under face. A rivet l9 secures the block I! to a lower metallic face plate 20. This face plate is provided with an upturned inclined rim 2|, which conforms in inclination to the apron l6 and has rubbing electrical contact therewith. Thumb pieces 22 provide means for turning the face plate 20 and the block ll bodily together. The face plate 20 carries threaded lamp bulb sockets 23 which project upwardly into the recesses l8.

When lamp bulbs 24 are screwed into these sockets, they engage contact plugs 25 at the upper ends of all of the recesses l8. These plugs have concave upper faces 26 into Which a teat 2? of a contact strip 28 is adapted to snap when the block I! is turned to such position that it may do so. The contact strip 28 is secured upon the lower end of the rivet II. The secondary terminal 29 of the battery is positioned to engage the contact ring l3 when the battery is placed in position.

Thus, .when the switch block I! has been turned to bring one of the plugs 25 into engagement with teat 21, a circuit is completed, as follows: from contact I2, through contact plate l0, rivet ll, contact strip 28, plug 25, one of the lamp bulbs 24, socket 23., face plate 20, apron l6, rivet l4 and-contact ring l3 to the other terminal of the battery. The shape of the teat 2! and the socketed top of the plugs 25 is such as to cause the teat to snap into these sockets and frictionally hold block I l in the position to which it has been turned.

The switch constituted by block l1 and face plate 20 may be turned in either direction. By moving the thumb grip 22 one step to the right, one of the bulbs, a, will be lighted; by moving the thumb glip another step to the right, the contact with this bulb will be broken and bulb a will go out; by moving the thumb grip another step to the right, bulb b will be brought into electrical communication with contact strip 28 and bulb b will light; by moving the thumb grip 22 another step to the right, the circuit to bulb b will be broken and bulb b will go out; by moving the thumb grip another step to the right,

the contact for bulb will be made and bulb 0 will light; by moving the thumb grip another step to the right, the contact for bulb 0 will be broken and bulb 0 will go out. Since the block I! may be turned in either direction, it follows that corresponding movements to the left will bring about corresponding alternate lighting and extinguishment of the several bulbs.

This switch serves not only the function of a switch, but the function of a carrier for three bulbs, any one of which may be lighted by the action of the switch. As before stated, it is common practice to provide these electric hand signaling lanterns with two bulbs and a switch adapted to light either of said bulbs, and it is common in such lanterns to provide a space for a spare bulb. The third bulb in my construction may constitute the spare bulb, and the switch may be manipulated in such fashion that this third bulb will not ordinarily be used until one of the other bulbs has burned out. In that case, the utilization of such third bulb may be brought about without delay and without the necessity of taking the bu b from a storage compartment and screwing it into a bulb socket.

The desirability of this will be best appreciated upon reflecting that a bulb may burn out on a dark, very cold and snowy night, when it would be very inconvenient for the trainman to have to remove his gloves, open the lantern casing, take a spare bulb from an inside compartment and screw it into a bulb socket. It will be understood that a limited turning movement in either direction will bring teat 21 into engagement with one of the contact plugs 26 and that a succeeding limited turning movement will move said teat out of engagement with any plug, by causing it to ride upon that portion of the face of the insulating block which lies between two of the plugs.

It is clear that many ways will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, for varying the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. As far as I am aware, I am the first to provide an electric hand lantern having a manually operable switch element which itself constitutes the carrier for a plurality of bulbs adapted to be carrier by such movement into engagement with a fixed element constituting the source of current supply.

Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but that it includes within its'purview, whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an electric hand lantern, a casing, a battery therein, a bail constituting a handle for the lantern, a fixed block of insulating material secured in the bottom of the casing, a pair of contact members upon the upper face of said block of insulating material, with which the terminals of the battery engage, a second block of insulating material mounted for complete horizontal rotation beneath the first named block and provided upon its under face with a plurality of vertical recesses disposed concentrically of the axis of the casing, a metallic face plate secured to the underside of said block and provided with a plurality of threaded lamp sockets which enter said recesses, a contact plug extending from the top of each of said recesses to the upper face of the second named block, and a fixed contact strip carried by the first named block of insulating material and bearing upon the second named block at a point to engage said contact plugs, said last named contact strip being electrically connected to one of the fixed contact members with which the battery engages, a depending annular metallic apron carried by the casing and encircling and housing the movable insulating block of the switch and lying outwardly thereof and constituting a bearing upon which said movable insulating block is mounted to turn, said face plate having an upturned metallic portion which closely conforms to and makes electrical contact with said apron and means for electrically connecting the apron to the other contact member upon the first named block of insulating material and with which one of the battery terminals engages.

2. A structure as recited in claim 1 in combination with outstanding finger engaging ears carried by the upstanding metallic portion of the face plate.

3. A lantern of the character described consisting of a metallic casing having vertical sides, an inturned ledge at its bottom and a terminal depending, inwardly inclined apron, a block of insulating material spanning the bottom portion of the lantern and having portions resting upon said ledge, a contact ring supported upon the upper face of said block, metallic fastening devices passing through the ring and through the ledge and serving to hold the ring in place and to electrically connect it to the ledge, a second contact member upon the upper face of said block, a battery in the casing, one terminal of which is disposed to engage said ring and the other of which is disposed to engage said second contact member, a contact strip disposed below the block, means for electrically connecting said strip to the second contact member, a movable switch element comprising a movable block of insulting material disposed below the first named block lying within and being closely embraced by said apron and having a plurality of vertical recesses in its under face, contact plugs extending from the tops of said recesses to the upper face of said switch element and in a position to be brought successively into engagement with the terminal end of said contact strip by turning movement of said switch element, a metallic face plate secured to the underside of the insulating block of the switch element and having upturned sides which closely conform to and electrically engage with the exterior face of said apron, and lamp sockets carried by said face plate and projecting upwardly into said recesses, the engagement of said apron between "the movable block and. upturned sides of the face plate constituting a bearing by which the movable block is mounted for rotation.

4. A structure as recited in claim 3 wherein said lamp sockets are at least three in number.

5. A structure as recited in claim 3 in combination with a skeleton support connected to said ledge and extending far enough below the face plate to maintain lamp bulbs screwed into said sockets, out of engagement with the surface upon which the base rests.

' WILLIAM M. MOXLEY 

